Who Is Pope Francis & What Does He Stand For?

With the papal election behind us, should the Catholic Church expect monumental change?

The election of Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff, marks a historic shift for the Catholic Church. But exactly how much can we expect to change? After all, modernization of the institution isn't exactly what you'd call fast-paced—it's the exact opposite.

On topics from abortion and same sexmarriage to premarital sex and birth control, the Catholic Church's stance has been constant. So reliabe, in fact, that even as society evolves and some view the conservative opinions of the Church to be stale, the institution refuses to waver. John Paul II (Pope from 1978 to 2005) made it abundantly clear that, unlike many state governments, the Catholic Church is not a democracy and wouldn't sway simply as the congregation becomes more progressive. So how does the first Argentinean Pope's views line up with those of the Church over which he know presides?

Same-Sex MarriageWhile nine states (so far) have legalized same-sex marriage, and President Obama doesn't believe moral opposition to the idea is reason enough to justify unequal treatment, Catholics shouldn't expect the new pontiff to change the views of the Church as he remains squarely anti-gay marriage. Francis voiced his opinions on the subject when the Argentinean president successfully legalized same-sex marriage in 2010 stating, "This is no mere legislative bill. It is a move by the father of lies to confuse and deceive the children of God."

Same-Sex Couples AdoptingSince Francis is stringently anti-gay, it would be a radical shift in ideology for him not to also refute same-sex couples adopting children. Suffice it to say he also shares the conservative belief by the Catholic Church that gay couples should not be allowed to adopt children. In 2010, Francis wrote to the four monasteries in Argentina: "At stake are the lives of many children who will be discriminated against in advance, and deprived of their human development given by a father and a mother and willed by God," and called into concern the survival of family when same-sex couples adopt children. Keep reading ...